Back to Index

Indigenous herbs useful in HIV and AIDS treatment
The Manica Post
July 21, 2006

http://www.manicapost.com/inside.aspx?sectid=1054&cat=17

An organisation in Nyanga carried out encouraging tests on 20 people living with HIV and AIDS to discover the usefulness of indigenous herbs in an attempt to find medicine to fight the pandemic, it has been learnt.

The co-ordinator of the organisation, Mr Joachem Nyamande said that the response of people living with HIV and AIDS to Moringa and chiororo was overwhelming.

"Although it varies from person to person, some patients have gained weight while others are beginning to do day-to-day activities which was not the case before," he said

The CD4 count measures the immunity level of the body and this depends on the number of T cells.

Mr Nyamande said the AIDS tests were being done at Regina District Hospital for the past six months.

A person has cells that defend the body against diseases and the reduction of these cells has been blamed on HIV and AIDS.

The lower the number of these cells, the more vulnerable one becomes to diseases.

The co-ordinator said the weight and quality of life among other variables would indicate one's response to indigenous herbs.

"Some of the patients have gained considerable weight and their quality of life seems to have improved and in some cases diarrhoea has stopped," he said.

These, however, are not the first tests to have been carried out to discover the usefulness of indigenous herbs as medicine that can be used to fight against this pandemic.

Past efforts encouraged the growing of Moringa trees, botanically known as Moringa oleifera, which originated from north -western India.

Fresh leaves and powder are recommended for TB and AIDS patients because of the availability of vitamin A that boosts the immune system.

One would recall the efforts of Ambuya Nelly Musikavanhu, a member of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers' Association, who is one of the herbalists who tried to provide a cure for HIV and AIDS using herbal therapy.

The ongoing tests and CD4 counts should be seen as attempts to find a therapy to rescue the nation and the world from HIV and AIDS scourge.

No cure for HIV and AIDS has been discovered so far

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP